Book holder



April 25, 1939. 5 E ELLIOTT 2,155,535

BOOK HOLDER Filed May 29, 1957 161% ZZZ/1'01! Patented Apr. 25, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to book holders and has as an object the provisionof a device that shall act as an easel for the book when in use andwhich may remain in place when the book is laid away.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a book holder havinga part foldable to lie inside the closed book when not in use.

It is a further object to provide a device of the character referred towhich carries a spring leaf-holder.

Further objects will appear from the following description when read inthe light of the accompanying drawing showing an illustrative em- 5bodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an open book showing thedevice in place;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of a portion of a closed book showing two of thedevices of the invention in place and folded; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device laid flat.

The device of the invention is particularly useful for students, where atextbook must be held open and referred to while the hands of the userare needed for other uses than holding the book.

To receive a lower edge of the cover of the book, there is shown a claspportion 10 formed of two plates H, l2. The two plates are shown asformed integral through the doubled portion I 3 the loop of which isutilized as one portion of a hinged connection with the foot I4 beingconnected thereto by means of a pintle l5.

To serve as an abutment'for the edge of the book cover as I6, tonguesl1, 18 are shown turned from the material of one plate as H toward theother plate.

The foot 14 is shown as cut away at its cen- 4O ter portion at l9 toreceive the portion l3 of the clasp. Pintle receiving eyes 20, 2| areshown turned from the metal at each side of the cutaway portion. Tostiffen the toes 22, 23 of the foot 14, they are shown as formed withridges 24, 25. The lower surface of the foot M or of the toes 22, 23 maybe provided with any desired cushioning material (not shown) which maybe of felt or rubber.

To prevent the clasp portion standing at too flat an angle to the footportion in the position of Fig. 2, a margin 32 of the foot l4 oppositethe cut-away i9 is shown as turned at an angle to impinge the clasp inoperative position.

To hold the leaves of a book open, a spring 55 wire 26 is shown passedthrough openings 21, 28

in plate H, the end of the wire being turned at an angle at 29 to serveas a spring anchor. The remaining end of the wire 26 is shown turned toprovide a bight 30 to engage a leaf of the book and the extremity isformed into a finger piece 3|.

The material of which the device is formed should have some resilienceand the spacing of the plates ll, I2 should be slightly less than thethickness of the average book cover, in order that the device may remainin place on the covers.

Two devices of the invention are desirably used to hold a book. When thebook is put away the feet I4 are turned to the position shown in Fig. 3,to lie inside the covers and the book may be laid away with the devicesin place ready for the next use of the book. When folded it will be seenthat the lips 32 and the springs 263ll will lie between the two andbelow the edge of the book. If desired, felt may also be applied toplate I l in order to avoid scratching furniture upon which the closedbook is laid.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the inventionwithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A book holder comprising, in combination: a cover clasping portionapplicable to the bottom edge of a book cover; a foot portion hinged toan edge of said clasping portion, swingable from a position of contactwith the inner surface of a book cover clasped by the first-namedportion through an arc of at least 270 to a book-supporting position;and parts of said portions interengaging to hold the book in readingposition.

2. A book holder comprising, in combination: a cover-embracing portionformed of spaced plate portions to receive the lower edge of a bookcover therebetween; registering margins of said portions projecting andbent to form an integral hinge member; a foot portion having at one edgea hinge member complemental to said first named member and a pintlepassing through said members to complete the hinge; said foot membermovable through an arc of at least 270 about said pintle; and a flangestruck up from the material of said foot portion to abut saidcover-embracing portion to limit motion about the pintle in onedirection to support a book in position to be read; said foot portionswingable into position in contact with the inner surface of the coverwhereby to close fiat with the closed book.

SETH E. ELLIOT'I.

